Secret Santa - Cello/Story
A winter breeze howled through the treetops, shaking the branches of fir trees like a child experimenting with a new toy. The trees swayed in rhythm, depositing their burden. Snow fell off of their branches, landing on the ground in large piles. Two lovers walked through the forest, oblivious to the nature around them. The sun had left and the sky was an inky black, cloaked in the shadow of night. They had only the last dim rays of the waning moon to light their path. However, their footsteps were sure and steady, unaffected by the darkness surrounding them. The maiden was of small build and a pale complexion. Silvery tresses tumbled down her back, the color of moonlight. She walked besides a young man who wore a pensive expression on his scarred face. His ginger hair was cropped short, and his hand rested on the pommel of a small dagger. His eyes were alert and wary, darting from this way to the other. They stopped at the emall cliff overlooking a tiny village below. A thin plume of smoke from a dying fire drifted up into the sky, the scent of burnt wood perfuming the air. The lovers stood in silence, lost in thought. The young man suddenly turned around, gripping the maiden's hand tightly. "Run away with me, Anyu," Lionel pleaded, his crystal blue eyes filled with anguish and desperation. The maiden shook her head sadly. "I can't, Lionel. I have a duty to my people." "You're too young to die!" Lionel exclaimed in agony. "It is my duty," Anyu replied softly. "I must. Surely you understand." Lionel remained silent, watching her sorrowfully. "Then let us speak no more about the matter," Anyu requested. ''She looks beautiful, ''Lionel thought. Anyu wore a simple white gown, her argent hair covered by a thin veil. She retained a dignified posture. even while riding a mule. Her eyes were fixated on a distant spot in the horizon visible only to her. She paid no attention to the villagers who stood clustered around her, resigned to her fate. A drum beat steadily in the background as she drew closer to her fate. He pushed through the crowd, attempting to reach her in time. Attempting to reach her before she was sacrificed in order to appease Isourifi, goddess of winter. Despite Lionel's pleading, Anyu had made no attempt to escape the fate which was to befall her. However, Lionel couldn't simply allow her to die without at least attempting to change her mind again. He called out her name, but it was lost in the chants of the villagers. Finally shoving past a particularly portly man and his wife, Lionel reached Anyu. He grabbed at her hand and their eyes met for a single moment. He opened his mouth to speak but before the words left his mouth, Anyu gave a slight, imperceptible shake of her head in answer. The next sensation he registered was a boot slamming into his chest. He went flying back through the crowd, trapped in a mass of bodies. By the time he got ahold of his bearings, Anyu, her guards, and her escort who had kicked him were gone. The frigid snow soaked through Lionel's boats, biting into his skin. He grimaced, but forced himself to ignore the sensation and continue on. It had taken him a week to slip out of the village unnoticed. It would take less than a weak for Anyu to freeze to death, what with the thin garments that she had been wearing. However, Lionel clung on to the fragile scrap of hope that he had survived. Anyu was stronger than her appearance suggested. There was a possibility, no matter how slight, that she had survived. And so Lionel continued climbing. Category:Story